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Newsletter Volume 3 |
Spring 1999 |
Statewide Workshop for Preservice Secondary Mathematics
Marilyn Carlson
Department of Mathematics
Arizona State University
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Newsletter Volume 3 |
Spring 1999 |
Funding from Eisenhower, ACEPT and the Phoenix Urban Systemic Initiative (USI) provided support for cooperative efforts to improve the preservice secondary experience for future high school mathematics teachers. The Workshop, which involved participants from the three Arizona universities, community colleges and high schools, was initiated with a three-day conference in May of last year. In addition experts from several other universities actively involved in secondary mathematics reforms were invited to participate. This group of national and Arizona mathematics education faculty shared research insights and curricular innovations during the initial three-day conference held in Tempe on the ASU campus. Arizona high school teacher leaders provided information regarding their local needs and current curriculum focus. The workshop also facilitated the sharing of expertise and curricular innovations among universities and local schools, and provided important background information for guiding the summer writing activities.
During June and July, seven local high school teachers and five ASU faculty worked collaboratively to develop modules that attempt to impart deep understanding of secondary mathematics content and concepts (e.g., geometry, functions, derivative, etc.). The modules are being used in preservice secondary mathematics methods courses at ASU, and will be designed to build important understandings, skills and methods for becoming effective high school mathematics teachers. The module writers will continue building questions based on recent research, revealing common obstacles in students' concept development.
On July 30th and 31st the team of local high school teachers and ASU faculty presented the modules that they had collaborated in developing during in a second workshop. The participants during this workshop included national (e.g., Dick Stanley, UC Berkeley; David Molina, UT Austin) and state (e.g., David Gay, UofA Mathematician; Armando Martinez-Cruz, NAU Mathematics Educator) leaders in math education, and local Phoenix USI teachers. These participants assisted in critiquing and refining the newly developed secondary mathematics curriculum.
An assessment plan was devised to provide insights into preservice high school teachers' mathematical behavior and concept formation, as well as feedback for future module refinement.
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